Slow-Fried French Fries
There are certain foods that are better when not made at home, like french fries. To achieve golden-brown perfection, you have to fry them twice: first at a low temperature, to poach them; then at a high heat, to crisp them up. Very tasty, very much a pain in the neck. A few years back, I read about how French chef Joel Robuchon supposedly does it at his house: He puts sliced potatoes in a pot of cold oil, turns on the heat, and lets them go. It sounds too simple to work. But as the temperature rises, the potatoes cook from the outer layer in until the fries are wonderfully crunchy outside and creamy in the center. You’ll never make fries any other way-even if you’ve never made them before.

Transfer potatoes to a large deep heavy pot, spreading potatoes so they’re no more than 2 layers deep. Pour in safflower or vegetable oil to cover potatoes by 1″. Place pot over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes (oil will begin bubbling gently). Continue cooking, occasionally loosening potatoes from the bottom of the pot with a heatproof spatula, until potatoes are very tender, 25-30 minutes more. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes longer (oil will bubble more vigorously).

Using a slotted spoon, transfer fries to paper towels to drain. Season with coarse sea salt.

Preparation

Cook beef, bell pepper, and next 2 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven.

Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in corn, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.

Directions

In a small bowl combine the cumin, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil, beef cubes and half of the seasoning. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides, but not cooked through; remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste and hot sauce. Stir and cook until everything turns a dark reddish brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and sprinkle over the remaining seasoning. Stir and cook until beef is browned then add the reserved beef chunks back to the pot along with the cornmeal, wine, stock, and the squash. Raise the heat until it comes to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and let the chili cook another 15 minutes, until it is thick and the liquid is reduced.

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

John Washabaugh – cheese dip in the crock pot. I make 1 lb of taco meat, usually ground turkey, two pound blocks of velveeta, 1 jar of ragu double cheddar sauce, 2 cans of chili (whatever your preference is) and a bag of mexican blend shredded cheese. Just melt everything together in the crockpot, and take a couple bags of tortilla chips.

Mike Hype used to make “Dion Dogs”… I think it was just Velveeta and Hormel Chili… mixed in a crock pot & slathered on top of unsuspecting hot dogs. It was also almost always guaranteed to cause gastrointestinal distress.